Title: Bin-Ladin Men Reportedly Possess Biological Weapons
Document Number: FBIS-NES-1999-0306
Document Type: Daily Report
Document Title: FBIS Translated Text
Document Region: Near East/South Asia, East Europe
Document Date: 06 Mar 1999
Division: Arab Africa, East Europe, Balkan States
Subdivision: Egypt, Czech Republic, Albania
Sourceline: JN0603113799 London Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version) in Arabic
6 Mar 99
AFS Number: JN0603113799
Citysource: London Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version)
Language: Arabic
N/A
Subslug: Report by Khalid Sharaf-al-Din in Cairo
[FBIS Translated Text] Confessions by defendants in the "Albanian Arabs"
case, which is being considered by the Egyptian Supreme Military Court at
Hykstap Base, northern Cairo, have revealed that elements loyal to
Bin-Ladin have obtained germ and biological weapons by post in return for
a small sum. Factories in the former [Soviet bloc] eastern countries are
supplying to whoever wants them viruses causing deadly diseases, such as
Ebola and Salmonella, without verifying the identity of the importer.
Thus, a member of the organization has managed to obtain an offer for the
supply of samples of anthrax and other poisonsfrom a factory in one of
the East Asian countries. The germs have been made available at a price
equivalent to $3,695 plus freight charges. At another point in the
investigation, the defendants pointed out that a laboratory in the Czech
Republic agreed to supply samples of the deadly gas, Potolinium
[transliterated as published], for a sum equivalent to $7,500 per sample.
The laboratory did not inquire about the purposes for using the deadly
gas.
Egyptian security agencies have conducted investigations into the case of the
"returnees from Albania" over the past four months and compiled a
20,000-page report, parts of which have been examined by Al-Sharq
al-Awsat. The defendants made full confessions about the nature of their
activities against the Egyptian regime, such as acts of violence in Egypt
and plans to destabilize the state. The confessions of the defendants
revealed many surprises about the full role being played by the leaders
of fundamentalist groups abroad.
The first defendant in the "Albanian Arabs" case, Ahmad Ibrahim
al-Najjar, revealed in his confession, which covers 143 pages of the
report on the investigations conducted by the higher state public
prosecution before referring the whole case to the military justice, that
Ayman al-Zawahiri was declared leader by members of Jihad group abroad
several years ago; also, that 'Abbud al-Zummar, former leader of the
group and founder of the Jihad Organization, who is currently serving a
life sentence for the assassination of the late Egyptian President Anwar
al-Sadat, is no longer the actual leader of the organization and does not
have any organizational authority.
This information explains the conflicting positions of the imprisoned
group leaders and the absconding leaders abroad on the initiative to stop
acts of violence, which was announced by the imprisoned leaders and
rejected by the absconding ones. Al-Najjar says Jihad's organizational
structure has become very complex since many leaders now live abroad, and
those who live in Egypt are careful to not expose themselves to danger.